Politics

US investigates deadly Afghanistan air strikes

  Khost / AFP The US military has said it will investigate air strikes it carried out this month, which Kabul said had killed 17 “insurgents” but which local officials and witnesses said on Thursday were civilians. The US army regularly conducts air strikes in the name of “counter-terror” operations in the eastern regions that border Pakistan, which are strongholds of ...

Read More »

Sweden arrests suspect for planning terror crimes abroad

  STOCKHOLM / AP Swedish prosecutors say a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of planning terror crimes abroad. The Swedish Prosecution Authority says the suspect had violated legislation that took effect April 1 that includes incitement, recruitment and training for terrorist offenses. Chief prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvanstrom says Thursday the investigation has just begun and no more information would ...

Read More »

Belgian minister under pressure over EU security report

  BRUSSELS / AP Belgium’s transport minister is under pressure to resign over a secret European Union report exposing past lapses in oversight of security at airports across the nation. The restricted EU document of last year was made public by two opposition parties. It said that oversight of security measures at the nation’s airports was flawed and there were some ...

Read More »

Clinton, Sanders face off in New York debate

  New York / AFP Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off Thursday in a closely watched US presidential debate ahead of the key New York primary in the increasingly acrimonious Democratic race for the White House. The former secretary of state holds a double-digit lead over the Vermont senator in polls and needs a big win in next Tuesday’s ...

Read More »

Ukraine parliament appoints pro-EU Groysman as PM

  Kiev / AFP Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday appointed pro-Western speaker Volodymyr Groysman as prime minister in a bid to end months of political gridlock and unlock vital aid to the war torn-state. Lawmakers voted by 257 to 50 to approve the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk —condemned by President Petro Poroshenko for losing the public’s trust—and select Groysman ...

Read More »

Germany agrees steps to integrate refugees, fight terrorism

Berlin / AFP German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition agreed on Thursday on tough measures to spur the integration of migrants and refugees, including sanctions for failing to take part in programmes such as language classes. The deal, hammered out in six hours of late-night talks between Merkel’s conservative Christian Union bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD), also included plans ...

Read More »

China condemns US human rights in annual report

  Beijing / AFP China slammed the US for its human rights record on Thursday, state media said, denouncing it for police brutality and civil rights violations a day after Washington criticised Beijing’s own performance. In a report sourced mainly from US media, China said “the US government refuses to hold up a mirror to look at itself, it has ...

Read More »

Rousseff blasts ‘coup-plotter’ VP

Brazil / AFP Brazilian President DilmaRousseff took off the gloves, branding her vice president a traitor and coup-plotter ahead of an impeachment vote in Congress, with a party once in the ruling coalition set to cast a ballot against her. In a blistering speech, Rousseff, 68, charged: “If there were any doubts about my reporting that a coup is under ...

Read More »

‘European Parliament’ ejects nationalist German lawmaker

  BERLIN / AP A European Parliament faction that includes Britain’s governing party has ejected a lawmaker from the nationalist Alternative for Germany, which has drawn criticism over members’ remarks suggesting that police could shoot refugees trying to enter Germany. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won seven European Parliament seats in 2014. Five lawmakers left for a new and more moderate ...

Read More »

3 French soldiers killed in Mali mine blast

  Mali / ap A mine explosion in Mali has killed three French soldiers, in an unusually deadly incident for French anti-terrorist forces in the region. The French Defense Ministry says that soldiers had been approaching Tessalit in northern Mali in a convoy of about 60 vehicles when the lead armored vehicle was hit Tuesday. The Defense Ministry initially reported ...

Read More »
Send this to a friend